Pilot
"Pilot" is the first episode of V. It aired on November 3, 2009 on ABC. Synopsis 6.30 am Erica Evans opens her eyes and awakens in bed as the ground starts shaking around her. She gets up and shouts for her son Tyler, asking him can he feel the shaking. When she goes into his room the bed is made and he is not there so she rings his cell phone. He seems to be in a medical center when she tells him that he is in huge trouble and he says he knows. Father Jack Landry exits St. Josephine's Church and greets a man in a wheel chair. He then notices the ground shaking. Chad Decker bathes in the shower as his news program plays in the background. Ryan Nichols enters a jewellery shop with a salesman. Ryan thanks the salesman for coming down so early as it is the only time he could get down. The salesman tells him not to mention it. Ryan tells him he is excited and asks him if he has the ring. The salesman tells him that he does. Valerie Stevens is writing. There is a photograph of her and Ryan in the background. She notices her coffee shaking and looks around. Ryan then asks the salesman if Valerie will like the ring. The salesman insists that she will love it. Ryan then asks if getting down on one knee is too corny but the salesman tells him that you can't go wrong with the knee. The ground then starts to shake and Ryan asks what it is and the salesman replies he doesn't know. Chad Decker then enters the office at Prime Focus News and greets Haley Gordon as he enters. Chad asks her if she pitched Freddie his idea and she says that he loved it and said that it was a great take on the vice-presidancy. She then says that he asked Martinez to do it as Chad Decker walks away, ranting. Erica Evans runs down stairs while still on the phone to Tyler. She asks him how he got into a fight. He tells her that he crashed a party in Soho and tells her that it was Brandon's idea. Erica asks him where he is and he tells her that he is in a clinic and when she says she is going to get him, he says he'll take his bike home. The ground then starts shaking rapidly. Erica tries to talk to Tyler but the phone cuts out. Valerie, at the same time, tries to stop her bookcase from falling over as her vases and pictures fall to the ground and smash. Jack is in the church when the shaking starts and the crucifix at the top of the church falls to the ground and almost hits Roy. Jack pushes Roy out of the way as the crucifix hits the ground and smashes. Erica looks out of her window when a shadow fills the room and the whole neighbourhood. Ryan is walking down the street when an Air Force F-16 plane falls out of the sky. Ryan runs as the explosion envelops half of the street. The pilot of the plane then falls out of the sky with a parachute but appears to have died before hitting the ground. Ryan looks up into the sky and sees a huge spaceship hovering over New York City. Erica is still trying to talk to Tyler on the phone as she sees the giant spaceship aswell. Erica tells Tyler to stay where he is because she's coming for him. He tells Brandon that something's wrong and he has to go. Brandon tells Tyler he's staying right where he is. Tyler then gets on his motorbike and leaves. Valerie leaves her apartment and sees the giant spaceship as Chad and Haley look at it from the top of Prime Focus News. Jack, at the same time, looks at it from outside his church. Tyler speeds down the streets of New York City. He swerves in between cars and on to pavements as other drivers beep and shout at him. He gets off his bike and looks up at the mothership, horrified and confused. The army try and push him away, telling him that it is a restricted area. Valerie watches the television as news reporters say that there has been no contact with any of the 29 ships hovering over the major cities of the world. They also say that the first jets to encounter the spacecrafts experienced full electrical failures. Ryan enters and the two kiss. 9.55 am Erica argues with an army man as he tells her that it is a restricted area. Erica tells him that she is FBI and is looking for her son. A fight then breaks out beside them and when the man is distracted, Erica sneaks under the barrier. She shouts for Tyler and eventually finds him and the two hug. The spacecraft then starts changing and lighting up as the crowd screams. A face of a woman is then projected from the spacecraft. The woman says that her name is Anna and that her people come in peace. She apologizes for the turmoil their arrival has caused. She says that they need water and a mineral which is common on Earth and in exchange they will share their technological advances and then leave Earth hopefully better than they found it. She says that there will be more contact with the world's leaders soon. The crowd then clap and cheer. Wednesday, 9.20 am Jack and Father Travis discuss the Visitors. Father Travis tells Jack that the Vatican has decided that the Visitors are God's creatures. Jack says that rattlesnakes are also God's creatures but that doesn't mean they're good for us. Jack tells Father Travis that he doesn't know what to do and Father Travis tells Jack all they can do is pray to their congregation. Jack tells Father Travis that their congregation consists of a heroin addict and Roy but when they go on to the altar they see the church has been filled with people. Erica talks on the phone to her partner Dale Maddox. Erica says that they're calling themselves the Visitors. Erica tells Dale that all of the terrorist cells that they've been tracking fell when the Visitors showed up apart from one which actually spiked. Erica says that the same group are acquiring large amounts of C-4. She asks why do this unless you're going after a target when they're distracted. Dale says he'll put together a profile on them and Erica thanks him. Dale asks Erica did she hear from her ex and Erica says he called to say he was fine and never asked how they were doing. Dale tells Erica to go be a mom and she tells him that he rocks. Tyler calls Erica to watch an interview with Anna on the television while Tyler and Brandon discuss that Anna is hot and Erica tells them that she's right there. Anna says that the Visitors are honoured by Earth's friendship and they will nurture it and never abandon it. She says that they are of peace, always. Anna is then questioned by the news. They ask her why the Visitors and humans look the same. They say that scientists say it is impossible. Chad says to give her some respect. He then asks her why all Visitors seem to be what he considers attractive. Anna says that he isn't so bad himself and smiles at him as she leaves. Later, in the mothership, Anna tells her assistant Marcus that she wants Chad Decker, while watching the news he is presenting. 3 Weeks Later On the news with Chad Decker, Chad says that it has been three weeks since the V's arrival but thousands are still flocking to see the motherships in person and host cities are having an economic boom but there have been many protests against the Vs. Erica then enters her office and greets Dale. She tells him that they may have a real lead on their cell. She says that a truck suspected of having drugs was checked last night by the NYPD and they didn't find drugs but did find, however, traces of C-4. She then shows him a photo of where the truck came from on Long Island. While searching, Dale tells Erica that the grounds are empty and it feels like another dead end. Erica shows Dale a photo of the truck parked next to a shack beside the building. The two then enter the shack and it looks to be empty but Erica opens a trap door on the ground and they go down the dark stairway. They find a dead body and a crate load of C-4. Ryan leaves his office and his phone rings. A man tells him that it has started and Ryan says that he's not that guy anymore and to stop calling him. He then meets Valerie and when his phone rings again he cancels the call. She asks what if it was important but he says that there is nothing more important than her. Tyler and Brandon get tickets to a tour of the mothership. A small spaceship brings them to the mothership as the two stare in awe at it. A young Visitor guide introduces herself as Lisa to them. The Visitors show Brandon and Tyler their secret to manipulating gravity. Lisa asks them have they signed up to their Peace Ambassador Program. She tells them to sign up if they are over eighteen and spread the word of the Vs around their community. They tell her that they're only seventeen and she says that they can do it if they get a parent's signature. Tyler says that that couldn't happen but Lisa says she recently got assigned to the New York chapter and they could have spent some time together. Erica tells Dale that they've been printing passports and fake docs. She says they're the best fakes she's ever seen. She says it was a major operation but no one was here, they cleared out like they knew we were coming. Jack preaches to his community, saying that the Vs should earn our trust. Afterwards, Father Travis tells Jack that people need to hear that the Vs are part of God's planet. He says that the Vs are not driving people away from God, they're driving people back to God. Jack says that gratitude can morph into worship or even devotion. Roy then enters. He gets up from his wheel chair and tells them that the Visitors healed him and he has no pain. Tyler then returns home. Erica tells Tyler to watch a video of Tyler and Brandon spray painting Vs onto buildings. She tells him that she rang Brandon's parents and they said that they are obsessed with the Vs. He says that they are not obsessed but she says that there are texts, instant messages and sites about how to spread their word through tagging on his computer. He says that Brandon sent them to him. Erica asks if Tyler is going to do whatever Brandon or the Vs tell him. He says that the Vs call it spreading hope. She asks him if it is because of his dad. He says that at least his dad has an excuse to be out of touch with his kid. Erica tells him that he left but she is here for him. Chad enters work when Marcus tells him that Anna wants to do her first interview with him to try and ease the protest against them. Chad agrees. Valerie and Ryan are having coffee when Ryan's phone rings again. He cancels it and when Valerie asks who it was Ryan says it was no one. Valerie says that he's been getting a lot of calls from no one recently. She tells him that the two of them don't keep secrets from eachother. Erica enters the office and asks Dale has he solved the case yet. Dale tells her that he can't find him. She says that he is kind of sexy when he talks all computery. She then says that she found the guy. She says his name is Owen Chapman and she has a search warrant for his house. Erica and Dale enter the house but it is empty. Erica says that they knew they were coming again because someone tipped them off. She then calls Owen and his cell phone rings from the kitchen. She picks it up and finds a text on it saying to go to a meeting that night. Later, Georgie waits outside Ryan's office. When Ryan exits, Georgie tells Ryan that he needs his help. Ryan tells him that he is about to get engaged to Valerie and he wants to protect her. Georgie gives him a piece of paper and tells him that that is where they are meeting if he changes his mind or grows a conscience. Jack enters the church when he sees a man sitting in one of the pews. He tells Jack that he liked his sermon the other day because he's right to question the Vs. He tells him that he knows the real reason why they are here and he's not the only one. He tells Jack that the Vs are going to obliterate humanity. He then starts squirming in pain. Jack notices a large cut in the man's abdomen. He tells him that the Vs did it. He then gives Jack an envelope and tells him to go to the address on it and give it to the people there. He makes Jack promise him that he will go and Jack does. The man then collapses. Anna and Chad are in the mothership waiting for the interview to begin. Chad asks if she has any questions before they go to air. Anna tells Chad not to ask her any questions that would paint them in a negative light. Chad tells Anna that he is a journalist and he has to ask questions no matter how fair they are. Anna says that the interview is cancelled but Chad agrees not to ask her any tough questions because the interview would elevate his career. Jack changes into casual wear and leaves for the meeting and brings the envelope with him. At the same time, Erica and Dale are outside the meeting. Erica tells Dale that she is going in and if she doesn't come out in thirty minutes to call for back up. Erica enters for the meeting. Jack is already present. Georgie is the leader at the meeting. He says that everybody there is there because somebody that they trust personally referred them. He says that the woman beside him is a doctor and she is going to be giving everybody an anaesthetic. Erica asks what the anaesthetic is for. The doctor then starts peeling back skin on the back of everybody's neck in order to see skull bone. This is to insure that nobody is a visitor. Georgie says that visitors cloned human flesh over their own reptilian skin in order to fit in on Earth. He says that the visitors didn't just get here, they've been here for years. He also states that for decades they've been implementing a plan that would result in the extermination of every man, woman and child on the face of this Earth. He also says that they've already positioned themselves in business, government, religion and the military. He says that has taken them years. He says that the final stage of the visitors plan was to reveal themselves to us. Erica asks him if he has any proof, other than scary stories being passed around the internet. Jack then says that he has proof and gives him the envelope the man gave him earlier. It is a bunch of photos of the Vs living on Earth. Erica looks at them and sees Owen Chapman with the Vs. She asks if he is a visitor and he says yes. She tells him that he is a terrorist and is part of a sleeper cell. She then realises that there is a sleeper cell of visitors. Erica tells Jack that he did a brave thing going to the meeting. They then introduce themselves to eachother. A seeker ball then starts shooting chrystal like bullets at everyone. Georgie shouts to get down but many people are shot and killed. People then arrive and start attacking the meeting members. A man grabs Erica and pulls her to the ground. He is revealed to be Dale, Erica's patner. Erica hits Dale on the head and he falls to the ground. There is a piece of skin loose on his head and she pulls it back to reveal a reptilian skin and eye underneath. He then starts choking Erica. Erica picks up a bar and stabs him in the abdomen. Jack then grabs Erica and the two run to safety. At the same time Ryan arrives and helps Georgie attack a visitor. The visitor stabs Ryan along the arm but Georgie and Ryan escape together. Georgie says that they were so careful and asks how the Vs found them. Ryan shows his arm and reveals reptilian skin underneath his skin. Ryan says that he was wrong to walk away and there are other traitors of the Vs out there like Ryan and they will all help. He then leaves and tells Georgie he's going to tell Valerie he's leaving her. At the interview, on camera, Anna tells Chad to ask her everything and anything. Chad asks what life is like where the visitors come from. Anna says that it is much like Earth with cities and large oceans accept they don't divide themselves into countries. They are one large, united country, all at peace. Anna says that humanity is a rare gift, one that the visitors hold in the highest regard. Anna says that helping humankind stirs great emotion in the visitors. She states that happiness comes from tranquility and peace. Anna tells the protesters that embracing change is never easy but the reward for doing so can be far greater than anything you can imagine. She also says that she wants to give complete medical services to all. Chad then asks her if she means universal health care and she replies that she believes that's what we call it. At home, while watching the interview, Tyler forges his mother's signature on the Peace Ambassador pamphlet. After the interview, Marcus tells Chad that Anna loved him and she intends to call on him again if she needs something to say through him. He says that she trusts him. Chad says that he's not so sure he trusts her. Chad said that Anna backed him into a corner but Marcus says that she could have chosen anyone but she chose him. Ryan returns home and looks for Valerie. Valerie says that she hates herself because he kept getting calls from no one and she thought there was someone else and after looking around she found the engagement ring. Ryan then says that he was even going to get down on one knee and he still loves her more than she'll ever know. Erica and Jack are sitting on a bench. Erica tells Jack that she doesn't know how to trust anyone any more. She says she can't get the image of Dale lying there out of her head. Jack takes her hand and asks her what they'll do now. Erica says that they'll help build a resistance and they'll fight. She says that the Vs are arming themselves with the most powerful weapon out there, devotion. Tyler goes to the mothership after forging Erica's signature. Lisa gives Tyler his uniform as Anna looks at New York City from the top of the mothership. Trivia Reception *E! Online rated the pilot episode "on a scale of 1 to 10, we give it an 11. V is the best pilot we've seen in, well, forever." *The website Seat42F rated the pilot episode A+, applauding its cast and effects and naming it one of the best pilots in years. *USA Today's Robert Bianco named V on his list of the top ten new shows, stating that the remake is well-made and "quickly establishes its own identity." *King Features' entertainment reporter Cindy Elavsky calls V: "the best new show on television, by far. The special effects are feature-film quality; the writing is intelligent and time-relevant; and the acting is first-rate. The first five minutes alone will hook you for the entire season." *V is the top-rated new series in Canada which netted 2.6 million viewers. *The 8pm screening of the series opener, which stars Elizabeth Mitchell, Morena Baccarin and Joel Gretsch, pulled in an impressive 13.95m in the US, making it the biggest scripted series premiere rating for a freshman show this Fall. General *In Virginia, the show was stopped as soon after Erica had seen what the V's truly looked like for the losing gubernatorial candidate's concession speech. It was resumed from the same point after the speech. *ABC was briefly advertised on Erica Evans' television screen when she, Tyler and Brandon sat down to watch a short interview with Anna. *Tyler has Erica's number saved on his phone as, "MOM". *When Tyler forged his mother's signature he did so in his own hand writing and did not imitate hers. *The pilot of V aired at Comic-Con on Saturday July 25th 2009. Questions and answers took place with actors Elizabeth Mitchell, Morris Chestnut, Joel Gretsch, Morena Baccarin and Scott Wolf and executive producers Scott Peters, Jeffrey Bell, Steve Pearlman and Jace Hall. *The opening image of Erica's eye, where Erica’s pupil contracts, is an homage to the television show Lost, the pilot of which began with a similar image. *The Resistance's meeting place was 4400 Pier Ave., a shoutout to Joel Gretsch's old series, The 4400, where he plays NTAC agent Tom Baldwin Bloopers and continuity errors *The plane that falls out of the sky next to Ryan was a Navy F-16. Navy F-16s aren't very common as they are all trainers or "enemy" planes in the Top Gun program and still belong to the US airforce. Category:2009 Season 1